Welfare Reform Bill

I support much of what the noble Baronesses, Lady Thomas and Lady Kennedy of The Shaws, have just said. I expect that domestic violence will be debated at some length later on in the Bill, when we come to Schedule 6, which will, I am pleased to say, be placed in the safe hands of my noble friend Lord Taylor. However, on this rather more specific issue of how the rules on claiming jobseeker’s allowance relate to those who suffer from domestic violence, I believe that we are all singing from the same hymn sheet. The noble Baroness’s amendment refers to a person who has left the family home through fear of violence. Although I admire her efforts to be determinedly politically correct—the amendment after all refers to a male—the sad truth is that the people whom we really have in mind are more likely to be women and, as the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy, said, their trauma. Women who have children over seven who leave a violent relationship would previously have been entitled to income support. However, due to changes in regulations, which we have been talking about off and on for far too long, those women will now be asked to claim jobseeker's allowance and be subject to the full conditions that are incorporated in the jobseeker's allowance regime—whether it is the full regime or the modified regime does not really matter. We are trying to avoid placing demands on frightened and vulnerable women which would be too onerous, given their circumstances, for them to meet. For those women who have to flee their homes to escape violence, with children in tow, the income support that they receive, until they are migrated off it, is essential for them to survive. For those who manage to find refuge in a shelter, the benefits that they receive will be vital to help pay for that and to meet their other needs. I believe that it is in recognition of these problems that the noble Baronesses have proposed the amendment. For that reason, we support the principle that women—or, indeed, men, as the amendment allows—should have a grace period. Indeed, my great party proposed last year a grace period of three months, during which women who are in refuges, having had to flee their homes to escape domestic violence, would not be required to seek work in order to qualify for JSA. My party did not go as far as to say that they should not be in the progression-to-work group, because that was not in the process of being debated. I am sure that all noble Lords will agree that such a measure is fair, as there is little to be gained from foisting demands on traumatised women who need a period of time to pull their lives back together. The noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy, said that three months was often not enough—I shall have to study that most carefully. My right honourable friend Mrs May spoke strongly in favour of the proposal in another place, and I am happy to put on record my support, too. Our figures suggest that the numbers are relatively small—the mothers of around 3,000 children. I hope that the Government will be able to confirm or deny this, but, more importantly, will be able to support the basic proposal. The noble Baroness, Lady Thomas, referred to the fact that this matter was raised, perhaps too briefly, in another place, as consideration of the Bill there was drawing to a close. I say "too briefly", because the Minister’s most recent temporary boss pronounced on this issue—I would have thought, unlike perhaps the noble Baroness, Lady Thomas—somewhat uncertainly. Therefore, I look to the Minister to be more explicit. The quotation that I would like to comment on is one from Mr Purnell on 17 March, at col. 871 of Hansard, when he said that he believed it to be the case that mothers in this category were already protected. The former Secretary of State believed it to be the case, but will the Minister confirm that it is so and will remain so? If he can, I expect that the noble Baroness will be happy to withdraw the amendment, knowing that in the precise words that she has chosen it is not needed. Again, however, I shall have to think carefully about the remarks of the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy.